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Videotaped apology hailed as victory in struggle against hate speech

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When Mohamad Fakih first received the video, he watched it alone; he wanted to make sure it was acceptable to show his kids. Then, the prominent Muslim-Canadian businessman gathered his wife and three boys and, together, the family watched the taped apology that took them more than a year of turmoil and thousands of dollars in legal fees to obtain.

In the two-minute clip, Ranendra “Ron” Banerjee — a man the family has never met — apologized to Fakih for making “defamatory and disparaging” comments about him and his popular restaurant chain, Paramount Fine Foods. Banerjee admitted to saying Paramount only let in patrons who were “jihadist” and have raped their wives “at least a few times.” But, as he said in the video publicly released Monday, he now realizes it was wrong to attack Fakih simply because of his religion and that “such hate has no place in Canada.”

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When the video ended, Fakih turned to his oldest son and asked him what he thought. “It’s good,” the 14-year-old said slowly. “But it’s not right.”

Fakih agrees. This long-awaited apology — provided as part of a Dec. 7 settlement agreement in a defamation lawsuit Fakih filed against Banerjee last year — marks an important victory not only for him and his family, but also for the broader struggle against hate speech and rising Islamophobia in Canada.

But the ordeal has also taken a significant financial and emotional toll on Fakih and his family. While the settlement is important, it is just one small step, he said; mere days before Banerjee’s apology, Statistics Canada reported that 2017 saw a record number of hate crimes across the country, with the majority targeting Muslim, Black and Jewish communities.

“It’s one step forward, but it’s only the beginning,” Fakih said. “I realize that there could be another (incident) tomorrow, with somebody else, and it could be one of my staff or one of my friends.”

Fakih’s legal battle against Banerjee began on July 20, 2017, when the anti-Muslim agitator showed up outside a Mississauga location of Paramount Fine Foods with online provocateur Kevin Johnston, another fixture at anti-Muslim rallies in the GTA. They were filmed making remarks Fakih alleges to be defamatory and the videos were widely disseminated online, including on Johnston’s website, FreedomReport.ca.

Fakih sued them both in August 2017 and while his lawsuit against Johnston is still ongoing, Banerjee asked to settle after an interim ruling by the Superior Court of Justice that rejected his attempts to quash the lawsuit this spring.

Banerjee had previously argued he went to Paramount because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was attending a fundraiser there and he wanted to protest the federal government’s $10.5 million payout to former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr. Therefore, he said, his comments were relating to a matter of public interest.

But in June, Justice Shaun Nakatsuru ruled the lawsuit should proceed because Banerjee’s comments “involve hallmarks of hate” and do not relate to a matter of public interest — a decision legal experts described as precedential because it made clear legitimately hateful expression could not be protected simply by claiming it was made in the public interest.

Anti-Muslim agitator Ranendra (Ron) Banerjee, left, reads an “unqualified” apology to Paramount Fine Foods owner Mohamad Fakih in a screengrab from a video released Monday. Fakih is seen right in a May 16, 2018, file photo.
Anti-Muslim agitator Ranendra (Ron) Banerjee, left, reads an “unqualified” apology to Paramount Fine Foods owner Mohamad Fakih in a screengrab from a video released Monday. Fakih is seen right in a May 16, 2018, file photo.

In addition to his “unqualified apology” to Fakih, which Banerjee made both in writing and video, the settlement also included a confidential cash payment and “consent to judgment” of $100,000 — meaning Banerjee will be liable for that amount if he ever makes similar comments against Fakih, his family or Paramount again.

“I will not make public comments of this nature in the future,” Banerjee said in his videotaped apology, reading from a sheet of paper. “I hope everyone seeing or reading this apology learns from my mistake.”

In reaction to Banerjee’s settlement, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said that building inclusive communities also means “challenging such hatemongers to ensure that everyone feels safe and secure.”

“At NCCM, we regularly receive reports from Canadian Muslims who are facing similar circumstances of hate directed at them,” Ihsaan Gardee said in an emailed statement. “We commend Mr. Fakih for taking a stand against such bigotry.”

On Monday, Fakih celebrated the settlement by making a $25,000 donation to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, a non-profit organization that monitors and studies hate activity. Fakih said he wants to empower other Canadians who may not have access to the same financial resources for combating hate speech through lengthy and costly legal battles.

An immigrant from Lebanon, Fakih has built Paramount Fine Foods into a successful restaurant chain with 70 locations worldwide. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts, which include supporting Syrian refugees and offering to pay for the funerals of worshippers killed in last year’s Quebec City mosque attack.

Fakih said he has wanted nothing more than to be accepted in Canada, but Banerjee and Johnston’s comments made him feel for the first time he wasn’t welcome here. Many friends and family discouraged him from pursuing the lawsuit, he said, but the “comments were so vile, so evil, so hateful that I simply couldn’t not stand up against them and do the right thing.”

In addition to his statements from July 2017, Banerjee has also been previously filmed describing Islam as evil and stating that Muslims should be banned from civilized countries, Nakatsuru wrote in his ruling from June. He also wrote that Banerjee administers several Twitter accounts that have made anti-Muslim statements, including that a dead Muslim is a net gain for humanity and Muslims are rotten from the time they are born. (Banerjee previously testified he “may or may not have written those tweets.”)

Johnston, who recently finished second in the mayoral race in Mississauga, is currently facing a hate crime charge relating to multiple alleged incidents involving online commentary targeting Muslims, according to Peel Regional Police. In his statement of defence to Fakih’s defamation lawsuit, Johnston denied the allegations and said any assertion he has “ever promoted hate is a fabrication.”

Fakih said he’s watched Banerjee’s video several times and while the apology is gratifying, it still makes him angry.

So much damage has already been done, he said. His 4-year-old son was traumatized by an encounter at a shopping mall, where Johnston followed Fakih and his children while videotaping and badgering him about supposed ties to terrorism. “For three nights, he was waking up and saying ‘Who’s that man who wants to hurt my dad?’” Fakih said.

His oldest son also came home from school one day with a picture his friend found online. The photo was photoshopped to make it appear Fakih’s hands and face were covered in blood.

“There is an anger inside of me and I’m sure my son will never forget this story,” Fakih said. “It makes them understand that they need to stand up for the things that we believe in as Canadians.”

Jennifer Yang is a Toronto-based reporter covering identity and inequality. Follow her on Twitter: @jyangstar

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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